U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,158 describes a widely used type of electrical connector comprising an insulating housing having contact terminals therein. Each terminal comprises an elongated strip of sheet metal which has been folded midway between its ends to form side-by-side contact arms. A wire receiving slot is provided in the terminal which extends inwardly from the fold so that when a conductor is inserted into the slot, the axis of the conductor will extend normally of the axis of the terminal. The conductor receiving slot in the terminal has its open end directed towards the rearward face of the connector housing and the conductor, therefore, extends laterally from the housing through one of the housing sidewalls rather than through the rearward face of the housing, as is usually preferable. The present invention in accordance with one aspect thereof is directed to the achievement of a connector having many of the desirable features of connectors of the type shown in the above identified U.S. Patent and which is so constructed that the conductors extend directly from the rearward face of the housing rather than laterally through one of the housing sidewalls.
It is important that any connector be such that the conductor will remain connected to the terminal when the connector is placed in service and it is also important that a strain relief means of some type be provided on the conductor so that when a tensile force is imposed on the conductor, the force will not be transmitted to the electrical connection between the conductor and the terminal.
The present invention in accordance with a further aspect is directed to the achievement of a connector having improved means for ensuring that the conductor will remain electrically connected to the terminal and that tensile forces imposed on the conductor will not affect the electrical connection between the conductor and the terminal.
A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a connector assembly consisting of an insulating housing, contact terminals in the housing, and a conductor retaining plug member which is dimensioned to be inserted into the conductor entry face of the housing. The terminals have conductor connecting portions which comprise wire receiving slots, the open ends of which are directed towards the conductor entry face of the housing so that the end portions of wires, or other conductors which have been inserted into these slots, extend laterally with respect to the axes of the terminals. The retaining plug which is fitted into the housing has retaining projections that are dimensioned to enter the conductor receiving slots in the terminals so that when the plug is fully inserted into the housing, these retaining portions prevent disengagement of the conductors from the terminals. Recesses are provided between the retaining plug and the internal surfaces of the housing and the conductors are dressed laterally within the housing so that they extend through these recesses. The recesses extend to the conductor entry face of the housing and the conductors as a result emerge from the housing with their axes extending normally of the conductor entry face and parallel to the axis of the connector.